Collapsible truck



Aug. 19, 1930. J. A..L INK I COLLAPSIBLE TRUCK I F iled Jan. 2, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 1 JOHA/ A7. LIA/K.

Aug. 19, 1930.

J. A. LINK COLLAPSIBLE TRUCK s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1930 e W Z M NN m 5/ L T m A J Aug. 19, 1930. J. A. LINK COLLAPSIBLE TRUCK Filed Jan. 2, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 //V\/,6NT02; JOHN 7. LINK.

Qrrokwsn Patented Au 19, 1930 UNITED STATES JOHN A. LINK,-OF srr. LOUIS, MISSOURI ooLL'nPsIBLE- TRUCK 1 Application filedlJanuary 2, 1980. Serial No. 417,980.

My invention has relation'to improvements in collapsible trucks and it consists in the novel features of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

Briefly, the invention comprises atruck, the sides and ends of which are foldable beneath the bottom for the purpose of reducing the truck to the smallest compact size whennot in use. Obviously securingdevices are provided to hold the sidesand ends socurely when in erected position, which devices are also utilized to hold the collapsed sides and ends securely together.

The object of the invention is apparent, namely the constructing of a truck for use in department stores and warehouses to transport bundles from place to place, the said truck being susceptible to contraction by col- 2 lapsing the sides and ends so that-it may be piled up with others not in use and not take up unnecessary space. This object, together with other advantages inherent in the invention, will be better apparent from a detailed description of the same connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved truck with the sides and ends erected and secured so that thetruck may be used for transporting articles; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the erected truck, with part broken away; Fig. 3 is a top plan of my improved truck with part broken away; Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the truck in collapsed con- 5 dition; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the collapsed truck; Fig. 6 is an enlarged top plan of one end of the truck with the lid section in open position; Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the top corners of the truck showing the securing devices for holding the side and end together; Fig. 8 is an enlarged end elevation of that part of the truck shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional detail takenon theline 99.of Fig. 7; and 4 -Fig. '10 is an enlarged side elevation of the ends of the truck shbwing their opposed relation when collaps and the locking bolt for securing them tog her.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the truck bottom, in the present instance having an angular flange 2 for the purpose of stifiening. thes'ame. A pair of rollers3, 3 mounted in brackets 4, 4 are secured to the center of the bottom 1 in properly spaced relation and a single roller 5 of somewhat smaller size is mounted in a bracket 6 adjacent to each end of the bottom .1 to which the brackets are secured.v It will be observed by referring to Fig. 2 that the sidesof the truck are each formed in two sections, the lower section 7 of the left-hand side (in said Fig. 2) being. somewhat narrower than the lower section 8 on theright side for apurpose that will appear hereinafter- The sections 7 and 8 are secured to the side flanges 20f the bottom 1 by means of hinges 9, 10, respectively, andside sections 11 and 12 are secured to sec tions 7 and 8 by means of hinges 13, 14, re spectively. Referring'now to F ig.- 1, it will be observed that the endsof the truck, which are also formed in sections, engage the edges of the side members when the ends are erected. The lowersections 15, 15 of'the ends are hinged to the end flanges ofthe bottom 1 by means of hinges 16, 16 and the upper sections 17, 17 are secured to sections 15, 15

by means of hinges 18, 18. A strap 19 having a centrally disposed bearing 20 is secured adjacent to each end of the side members 11 and 12 near the top thereof and an L-shaped bolt 21 is mounted in the bearing 20 of the strap 19. The bolt21 has a depending portion 22 adapted'to enter the socket 23 of a keeper 24 secured to the ends 17, 17. A second keeper 25, having a socket 26, is also secured to the right end 17 so that the socket 26 will be in vertical alinement with the socket 23 of keeper 241 Bolts 27, 27 are mounted in the sockets 26, 26 of keepers 25, 25 and project slightly into the sockets 23, 23 ofthe keepers24, 24above the keepers 25, 25. V

By referring tothe enlarged fragmentary views shown in Figs. 7 and 8, it will be plainly seen that the bolts 21 operateto lock the sides and ends togetherwhen they are elected but the bolts 27 serve no function. The purpose of bolts 27 is to lock the parts together when the truck is collapsed as will be seen by referring-to Figs. 5 and 10. When the truck the side comprisin sections 7 and locking bolts on the side members and keep- 11 lsfirst folded down and un er the bottom, ers on the end members ade ted for engagethenlthe side comprising sections Sand 12 is ment to lock the sides and en s together when folded beneathsection 11 after which the ends erected, and locking bolts on the end memo 27 may he slid through the sockets 26 and bers hinged to the margins of the bottom and are dmped downwardl and the sections bers adapted for engagement with the keep- 17 17 olded beneath t e side section 12. ers to lock the side and end members in foldi ntheends 1'! arethusfolded beneath ed position. b.

the olpesed rela- 3. A truck comprising a bottom having times shown iii 5 and'lU and each bolt Wheels thereon, side members and end mem- 23-othe sections 17 on ldlidmzheseisoeketsainldahlesthemhemeath, a lid section hinged are mounted, until the end of the bolt 27 ento each end member and foldable flat against tersthe socket 23 of the other end-section 11 eeidmeniber, means for locking the lid secsecnrely holding the sections 17, 17 in their tions together when the side and end memcollapsed position andcintfinin'g the'side secbers are erected, means for locking the mem- WWW-sweat thetrnek. bottom. berstogether when erected, and locking bolts d'er" sides may on the end members for securing the memverticall disbers'in folded position. sfi ei v a andyertieally Wheels thereon, side and end members hinged icxestsfi flfif cnthe endisectionsl7 to margins of the bottom and foldable cleats come into hherebeneath, reinforcing cleats contiguous gifrelafiop thesides and ends to the slde edges of each ofsaid members, the and atifies! the corner, as cleats on each side member extending alongas wnin 1 'figs, .Bend9. side the adjacent cleats of the end member a edmcoygn; 01 the when the members are erected,means for lockm in mr win s, seidcoizer mg the members in erected position and wag'beingjomeii intwo means for locking said members in folded -z regg ctivelzto the and sections position.

" 1 32 hinged In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my and 4. A truck comprising a bottom having K A and the section :31 signature.-

L 'ffifigegilred egeicfigt'to its JOHN A. LINK. '11 "iwie s I permit v t. 45 E ymeansof a f l L '1}; l i the truck is g ,i'iflfil willlie fiat L endsrl 117 of which ispnof Q s ght; seine the keeper-33 5); "ehrticnlatingledges M was 31ers eaeh provide with g a hee 36, 3B (,Figifijgsothnt these edggs will meipuuhe hi geslais when the Si s mifllglfid' together (F 1g. 5) V A the seelmngjdemces forh r v =$hdfiillgflifil a$jfiflgether be modified a V thereb sh mie ll fl e e te g wh- 1 fic fibedmyenrentmn I chum: f. IQK e'eggzrimng a bottom having W .h we web p s- 1 m inggtwe eect'mns, enevoifwhieh is hinged to a I i m sectionhinged' to t fitst seid si iemambeis being adapted to nembers each e v l M ,two sectioge HgQdIBSPQCtIVQI V a a g W is mh' e p r n to Tne'at'h t e sidia' in'embers, and meens .fm; A" theends nd sides together when i id means a 1' serving to lock the was: i

, 1191; m se hottom having page, side membeizfaal e 4 e 7 mmsm be th mdwbottem, 1::

eemw sh e m aw i a; 

